Ruth(playworkeatrepeat), Author at PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

House Rules

House Rules- Hi everybody! I hope you are all feeling bright and ready for a fantastic new week. It’s tough hitting the grind again but there are many reasons to love Mondays. And joining in with the monthly ‘Not Just A Mom’ link-up is always a great way to start off the working week. Today we are going to chat about ‘House Rules’. I honestly feel that a happy home really needs a solid foundation, and that’s where house rules come in! If we set clear, positive and fair house rules then this helps to create a safe, harmonious and enjoyable environment for our family. House rules give us structure as well as stability. They make our home a safe space where we can express our values, priorities and expectations. In addition, having house rules sets the tone for healthy communication and also encourages responsibility. I live with my husband and our eighteen-year-old son and we have a few simple rules that help us coexist in harmony. Of course, realistically speaking not every day can be sunshine and rainbows but these rules certainly do help! House Rules Respect Each Other’s Belongings This means no borrowing my phone charger without permission! Clean Up After Yourself If everyone pitches in and doesn’t leave a mess after themselves then the mess doesn’t pile up. So we have a few rules that really make a difference. If you make yourself something to eat in the kitchen then pack everything away and wipe any spills Squeegee the shower after each use to keep it shiny and free of water spots. This makes cleaning the bathrooms so much easier! Put your dirty clothes in the clothes hamper. Communication Is Key If something is bothering us, we talk about it instead of letting it fester. And if someone needs alone time we try and respect that. Now that’s the rule but here is the reality. I’m not great at expressing what is bothering me and I’m working on it. However, my husband and son are both much better at it! Seriously sometimes I think I brought the wrong kid home from the hospital. Because Sam is so calm and communicates very maturely. He doesn’t let things build up and really values times when we sit down as a family and talk. Wait I just realised that I did indeed bring the right kid home from the hospital. It’s just that he clearly takes after his dad. Hehe! Chores For All We all have a few household responsibilities to keep things running smoothly. From taking out the recycling and rubbish, emptying the dishwasher, and feeding the cat. Mind Your Manners It’s much more fun to be around people who are polite and respectful. So we really value good manners by using “please” and thank you” and treating each other with kindness and consideration. Knock Before You Come In! This house rule is a high-priority one. And we all make sure that we knock before we enter a room if the door is closed. This shows respect for privacy and respect of personal space. None of us wants to have someone walk in on us if we’re half-dressed! No Swearing I guess no swearing is not really a ‘rule’ as such. It’s more that we just don’t swear at home (not out loud anyway 😂) Check-In We check in with each other if we are running late or out longer than expected. This helps to stop mama from catastrophising! Having a set of house rules in my home with my husband and eighteen-year-old is the key to creating a harmonious household. Whether it’s taking turns feeding the cat, putting out the garbage or checking in when we’re out. These small actions all add up to create a good vibe at home. But it’s important to remember that no one is perfect and believe me we do mess up from time to time. However it’s not about being perfect, it’s about trying. After all mistakes and rough times are an opportunity to learn and grow. Linking up with Holly and Sarah Sharing with the Not Just A Mom Ladies And Sharing on

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sunshine for a few of this weeks favourites

Favourites For This Week

7 Comments / Friday Favourites

Hello, hello! Can you believe it’s already the end of another week? It feels like just yesterday we were starting the week with a bang, and now here were are, ready to share some favourites that happened in just a few short days. I really enjoy linking up with Andrea from ‘Momfessionals’ and Erika from “A Little Bit Of Everything’ each week for Friday Favourites. There’s something so special about reflecting on all the things that happened over the last few days (that go by in a flash!). And I always appreciate you guys stopping by to have a read. So let’s dive right in with some favourites for this week. Monthly Dinner With Friends Monday night was all about catching up with some friends for our monthly dinner at the local club. A regular monthly catch-up is one of my favourite things. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up with all of the things that have happened during the month. And I really love having a set date on the calendar each month too. Because this way I know that there is always something fun to look forward to each and every month. I enjoyed my usual steamed barramundi served with broccoli and boiled rice. Every month I think about ordering something else but I just love this dish so much. The barramundi is very delicate and flaky and it’s cooked in fresh garlic and soy sauce. I also love how the steamed broccoli is always cooked perfectly with just the right amount of crunch. I tend to overcook mine unless I stand there watching it and stay really focused! Movie Night Tuesday night Steve convinced me to go to the movies. I was a bit worried that I would fall asleep because I felt so exhausted after a big day at work. We went to the 8.50 pm session to watch ‘Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’ with Jason Stratham and Hugh Grant. I did manage to stay awake (mostly). I guess that it helped that the movie was full of big action scenes that I normally enjoy. But I didn’t really love this movie and I thought that it was just ok. I think I prefer Hugh Grant in a rom-com. He played a villain in this movie and it just seemed a bit strange. The choc tops we ate before the movie started were great! Cheers to yummy choc-tops! So Much Rain! Thursday the weather was absolutely nuts! The rain came down so hard and fast that it made the preschool playground totally saturated. Our preschool is located up on a hill so you could see all the rainwater gushing down the path and onto the street. It was crazy and I don’t think that I have ever seen so much rain in one day before. Then at the end of the day when we left the preschool later than usual after a staff meeting. The sun was out! Ha, the weather is just so weird this summer. A Yummy Lunchbox I had to take a photo of this delicious lunch box from one of our new preschoolers. Doesn’t it look so fresh and healthy? I had to laugh when the cute little owner told me she had grandpa cheese. I guess her grandpa must love Brie cheese a lot and now she’s named it after him. Yummy nutritious lunchboxes are a favourite! And so are the ones that are easy to open and close. You wouldn’t believe how difficult some lunchboxes can be to manage! These seemingly innocent containers can be as tricky as a Rubik’s cube. With lids that won’t go on properly, and snap locks that just won’t snap. I don’t know who designs these containers but I’d really like to have a chat with them!! Lip Oil I have been loving my Clarins Lip Comfort Oil which I bought when I went shopping with my friend in the school holidays. It leaves my lips feeling smooth and hydrated and I really love that it has a subtle colour and glossy shine. When I first saw it at the shops I thought that the colour would be too intense. But when I tried it on it gave my lips just the right amount of tint. And I’m so glad that I chose the chocolate colour. Meal Planning And Online Grocery Shopping I pretty much stuck to my meal plan this week and I’m proud of myself! It’s been so great knowing what to cook each night and it’s made my week a whole lot easier. It’s also made my online grocery shopping a breeze because I knew exactly what to order. I get such a buzz when my groceries are delivered because it means that I haven’t had to step foot inside a supermarket and battle the long lines. Which is really the last thing that I feel like doing after a long week at work. And that’s a wrap on another week! It sure was a busy one and I still feel like I’m adjusting to being back at work after the lovely long summer break. Which now feels like a very distant memory! I don’t have any major plans for the weekend and I’m excited to have some lovely free time! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and I look forward to being back here on Monday. Happy Friday friends! And just in case you missed this week’s posts you can catch up here. Hello Monday Let’s Look-What’s Inside My Medicine Cabinet How To Keep The Spark Alive In Your Relationship

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How To Keep The Spark Alive In Your Relationship

1 Comment / Health and Well Being

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so it’s the perfect opportunity to show your special person just how much they mean to you. But it’s not just about the gifts, it’s also about how to keep the spark alive in your relationship. So today I have put together a few tips that we can all use to help keep our relationships strong and healthy. How To Keep The Spark Alive In Your Relationship Communicate Good communication would have to be the most important element in any relationship. So make time to listen to your partner, be open and honest and express how you feel. Communication is key to making sure to address any issues that come up. Keep in mind that consistent communication will keep your relationship strong. Long working days and the general busyness of everyday life can make it hard to keep the lines of communication open. Therefore sending texts to your partner throughout the day can be a simple and effective way to stay connected. A simple sweet message expressing affection is a great way to show love. And even a short message like “hey how’s your day” can show your partner that you are thinking of them. Be Polite Sometimes when you have been together forever. It can be easy to slip into the habit of taking each other for granted and forget to be polite. So don’t forget to say ” please” and “thank you”. And genuinely complimenting your significant other can go a long way in making them feel appreciated and valued. Being polite and respectful in your everyday interactions is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy and happy relationship. And will be sure to keep the spark alive in a relationship. Try New Things Together Plan some new activities that you can both experience together. This is a great way to keep things alive and exciting in a relationship. Remember back when you were first dating and you couldn’t wait for the next fun date that you had thoughtfully planned out? Keep the spark in your relationship by planning and exploring new experiences together. This is a great way to help bring you closer. And who doesn’t love having a fun date to look forward to? Keep The Romance Alive Holding hands or cuddling can help keep the spark alive by creating a sense of closeness and intimacy. Physical affection is an essential part of maintaining a strong emotional connection. Express Your Love To Your Partner In Their Love Language Showing your partner love in their love language is a meaningful way to make them feel valued and appreciated. If your partner’s love language is words of affirmation then compliment them or express your love through kind words. If their love language is physical touch then try giving them long warm hugs or holding their hand. If they appreciate acts of service and this speaks to their heart then do something that will make their life easier. For example, you could cook or clean for them. If your partner’s love language is gifts then surprise them with a meaningful token of your affection. Kindness Show your partner how much you care for them by surprising them with thoughtful gestures. Acts of kindness are the best way to intentionally communicate how much you love and appreciate them. Take A Trip Down Memory Lane Reliving some of your favourite moments together by looking at old photos and reminiscing about the good times. Is a sure way to reignite the spark in your relationship. Schedule Regular Date Nights Make time for each other and plan regular date nights. You can choose to go to a fancy restaurant, pack a picnic, or spend a cozy night at home. It really doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you focus on each other and spend uninterrupted quality time together. And now for the fun part, Valentine’s Day gifts! If you are running short on time and ideas then get creative. Surprise your partner with a special date or a staycation. Spend the day together and do something that you both enjoy. Maybe a picnic, hike or even a cozy movie night at home. It doesn’t really matter what it is as long as you both spend time doing something you love. Cook a romantic meal together and enjoy dinner for two by candlelight. Give each other meaningful gifts that show how much you care. Write your partner a love letter or choose a cute card that they will appreciate. In conclusion, keeping the spark alive in a relationship takes effort and intentional actions from both partners. Whether it’s finding new ways to show love in your partner’s love language, trying new things together, or making time for each other by scheduling regular date nights. The key is to never stop investing in your relationship. So spend some time reflecting on what makes your relationship special and unique. And remember that a strong and healthy relationship needs ongoing attention and nurturing. Putting in the effort to keep the spark shining bright is so worth it! Related Articles Stay-At-Home Date Night Ideas

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What’s Inside My Medicine Cabinet

6 Comments / Cleaning and Organising

Hi everyone I can hardly believe that it’s already the February edition of ‘Let’s Look’. Today I’m linking up with Shay from ‘Mix and Match Mama’ and Erika from ‘ A Little Bit Of Everything’. And we are going to chat about ‘What’s In Our Medicine Cabinet”. I like joining in and looking at these topics because they are a great way to exchange ideas and grab some tips. And the nosey part of me also likes to peek inside people’s cabinets too. Hehe! What’s Inside My Medicine Cabinet So welcome to my medicine cabinet the home of my happy and healthy essentials. From first aid must-haves to self-care staples. This medicine cabinet holds all the tools that I need to keep me feeling my best. A First Aid Box I like to keep all my first aid essentials in a box that I picked up from Ikea. I love this big box which is part of a set that has containers of different sizes. They are fantastic for keeping my bits and pieces neatly stored inside my cabinets. Inside this box, I keep my first aid things like band-aids and antiseptic for cuts and scrapes. As well as bandages, splinter cream, burn-aid (which is absolutely amazing for small burns. It stops the stinging in a flash) and an asthma puffer. I don’t have asthma but after I get a cold and cough. I find that my airway is very sensitive so the puffer helps with that. Pain relievers I have some Paracetamol and Ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet. When headaches strike I try and deal with them first of all by drinking water (sometimes I’m not great at remembering until I have a headache). But then of course, if that doesn’t work then I reach for the paracetamol. And the ibuprofen is mainly for my husband who gets knee pain from being on his feet for so many hours at work. Allergy relief My allergies are nowhere near as bad as they used to be. But sometimes they flare up and my nose is so annoyingly itchy that I want to scratch it off. So I like to keep some antihistamines to help during the allergy season. You can see by the way I’ve ripped open the box that my nose must have been making me crazy. I couldn’t wait to get into the antihistamine to make it stop! Skincare I keep some essential skincare products in my medicine cabinet. Like sunscreen, moisturiser and night cream. As well as some face masks to pamper my skin and give it the nourishment it needs. Visine Eye Drops My eyes go bright red almost every time I wash my hair. It doesn’t matter what brand of shampoo I use whether it’s organic, salon or supermarket shampoo. For some reason, any shampoo irritates my eyes and makes me look like I have been crying. So after I wash my hair I squirt some Visine eye drops in my eyes and then I’m all good to go. Thermometer I make sure to keep a thermometer in the medicine cabinet for easy access. It sure came in handy when we had covid! Electrolyte Solution For Dehydration We had the worst bout of gastro late last year. So I had to order some Hydrolyte ice blocks online to help us all get through it. None of us could even leave the house to go and buy it at the chemist. We don’t often get gastro but now we are prepared. Cotton Buds And Cotton Balls There’s also a small stash of cotton buds and cotton balls stored away in the Ikea containers that I mentioned earlier. RAT Tests I keep a couple of boxes of rapid antigen tests. But we got given so many from Sam’s school and my preschool that we also have a few boxes stored under the main bathroom sink. Aeroguard The mozzies are just relentless, especially in this humid weather. So roll-on Aeroguard insect repellent is an absolute must in the medicine cabinet! And that’s about all of the essentials that I keep in my main medicine cabinet. I also have a cupboard under the sink in the ensuite where I keep other things like hair products and make-up etc. Thanks so much for stopping by today and letting me give you a little tour of what’s inside my medicine cabinet. What’s inside yours, I’d really love to know 😊. In case you missed it. Here’s what we looked at in January. Organisation Tips For A Busy Family

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Weekend Of Family Fun

13 Comments / Family Life

Hi everyone I hope you all had a great weekend and are feeling ready for a brand new week. Do you feel the same as me that the weekends fly by just way too fast? I always long for more time to relax and enjoy my free time. But Monday just rolls around in a blink of an eye. Anyway, I’m so happy that you have stopped by today. I’m linking up with Holly and Sarah to share a few highlights from my weekend of family fun. Monthly Family Dinner It’s always so great to spend quality time with the family and this weekend was no exception! Saturday was all about good food, laughter and catching up. One of my cousins hosted our first monthly family get-together for the year at her house. She went away to Hawaii for a couple of weeks with her husband and two kids. And It was so great to see them looking all tanned, happy and relaxed after their fun holiday. I could hardly believe that we hadn’t seen each other as one big group since Christmas. Time does fly by so fast!! We started the evening by toasting with Prosecco and enjoying some cheese and crackers. Then we all sat down together for a lovely meal. And enjoyed some delicious chicken, chips, mac and cheese, corn on the cob as well as cornbread. My cousin’s husband is from America and he introduced us all to cornbread. It’s the first time that I have tried it and it was just so delicious! Thankfully they have shared the recipe with us because I can’t imagine my life without cornbread ever again! A Surprise Birthday Cake For Me! It’s not my birthday until later in the month but my littlest cousin who is nine years old surprised me with a beautiful cake and everyone sang me happy birthday. It was such a lovely gesture! She baked the cake all by herself with a little help from her mum. The cake was so delicious and moist with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. Ocular Gaming System After dinner, it was time for some more fun and my other cousin pulled out the Occular gaming system that she brought over for us to play with. The ocular gaming system is a virtual reality headset designed for gaming. I had a turn and it is such an amazing gaming system. It transports you to a different world and you interact with the game using hand gestures. It was absolutely mind-blowing and I would love to buy one. But they don’t come cheap so I don’t think that I will be getting one anytime soon. Sunday It was such a joy to walk to church on Sunday morning. I loved feeling the warm sun on my face and looking at the brilliant blue sky. As I walked along it was different to my usual walks to work when I am usually in a hurry and going at a fast pace. This time I soaked in the beauty of my surroundings and the peaceful quiet of the neighbourhood. It was a big change from the noise of the weekday traffic and I could even hear the birds chirping! I snapped a quick photo of this quirky garden that is a few houses away from the church building. The front lawn is full of garden ornaments, plants and whirly things that move with the breeze. I always wonder who lives there. The fun continued on Sunday evening as my oldest son and his lovely fiancee came over for a visit. We sat down together for another family dinner and it was wonderful to see everyone having such a great time and enjoying more lively conversation. And just like that, our fun family weekend came to an end all too soon. We’re already looking forward to our next big family catch-up as they are always the highlight of every month. I hope you all enjoyed a great weekend. Happy Monday!

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Favourites From The Week

10 Comments / Friday Favourites

Favourites From The Week Hi everyone! I’m back here today sharing some favourites from the week. But firstly I can’t tell you how happy I am to welcome back the weekend! It has just been such a busy week. I’m not really surprised though because the first week back at preschool is always so full on. And I think that maybe the best way to describe it is that it’s a bit like childbirth! You forget how hard it is until you go through it again!! Haha….maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration! But friends it’s been a bit of a wild week! Anyway, it’s great to be back again on this sunny Friday to share some of my favourites from the week. Thank you so much for being here today. My first favourite for this week was meeting my cousin’s new puppy Zilla. She is absolutely the cutest and I am so excited that I get to see her again tomorrow. I have loved drinking refreshing iced coffee with hazelnut syrup. Perfect for those hot summer days. The temps have been around 30°C for most of this week and it’s just the way I like it! Priceline was having a major sale so I stocked up on a few things. I picked up the argan hair moisturising treatment for $13.80 instead of $23.00 so that was a nice saving. I also bought this Sally Hansen nail polish which looks very similar to the one that I nearly bought last weekend. And it was only a fraction of the price! My lovely friends went to San Francisco to visit their family over the Christmas holidays and they brought me back some beautiful surprises. They are so sweet to think of me and I will be tucking into some of these goodies tonight. Because it’s Friday night treat night! Look at this cute baby Yoda. They know what a big Star Wars fan I am. Steve and I went out for our usual seafood dinner on Wednesday night and this time we shared some ice cream for dessert. It was such a hot and humid night and the ice cream tasted so refreshing. We had Turkish delight, pistachio and mango. Yum, yum and yum! We have all been really enjoying some refreshing summer fruit this week. I ordered some grapes when I did my online food shop and I was surprised by how big the bunches were. We had two of these containers full of sweet grapes and everyone at home has been tucking into them. It’s a good thing that I have another grocery order coming today with more refreshing grapes. I’m not sure if I have shared this mayonnaise with you guys before. But this is everyone’s favourite mayonnaise here at home. It’s so creamy and delicious! It’s perfect for potato salad and tuna sandwiches as well as just about everything. I’m back to eating healthy salads at work. No daytime snacking anymore until the next holidays. One of my favourite things about working with kids is hearing the funniest things they come out with! I overheard a few things this week that made me chuckle. Two little girls who had only just started preschool were painting at the easel and they hadn’t met before or even acknowledged each other’s presence. When one turned to the other and said” Hey do you want to be my best friend”. The other little girl replied, “yeah ok”. Ah, life and relationships can be so uncomplicated when you’re four years old. Rest and relaxation time is not everyone’s favourite and we often have a few wiggle worms. So we keep it short and sweet for them. On Thursday I said to the kids “only two more minutes before we finish rest time”. One of my funny little friends asked “and how many seconds?” I burst out laughing! One of our new preschoolers has been having the best time. When his mum said goodbye to him one morning. He replied,” bye mum, see you tomorrow”. Ha! And there we have ten favourites from the week. I sure am glad to get week one back at work out of the way. And now it’s only ten more weeks until the end of term. But who’s counting? 😂 I hope that you all had a fantastic week and are just as excited as I am that it’s the weekend! Once I jump off the computer. I’m going to wrap up a few chores around the house. And then hang out on the couch with some snacks and watch lots of something. I haven’t decided what to watch yet. But I just hope that I can keep my eyes open. Happy Friday! Linking up with Andrea and Erika for today’s Friday Favourites

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favourite and least favourite foods-turkey bolognese

Turkey Bolognese Recipe

6 Comments / Recipes

Ever since we discovered turkey bolognese my family have finally enjoyed eating bolognese! They have never been big fans of the traditional spaghetti bolognese made with beef mince. I have never understood why because this is actually my favourite dish. And I am not exaggerating when I say that I could eat it almost every day! So one day I decided to try making it with turkey mince instead of beef mince and it’s been a real game changer! Now that my family enjoys eating bolognese. I feel good about making it often and I finally get to satisfy my love for bolognese regularly. It’s a win-win!! Turkey Bolognese Is Amazing Because Turkey mince is lower in fat than beef mince so it is healthier! It is full of flavour. This recipe contains vegetables for added flavour as well as nutrients. Best of all it’s a super easy recipe to make. What To Serve With Turkey Bolognese You can serve turkey bolognese with any pasta you prefer. I love the traditional spaghetti pasta but my family loves the spirals the best. You could also serve it with zucchini noodles instead of pasta. And if you make a delicious fresh salad and garlic bread to go with turkey bolognese. You will have an amazing dinner on the table in no time at all! Turkey Bolognese Recipe Ingredients 500 gm turkey mince 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion finely chopped 2 carrots finely chopped 3 stalks of celery finely diced 2 cloves of garlic crushed 1 cup of chicken stock 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp dried parsley add salt and pepper to taste 400g passata 1 can of crushed tomatoes Instructions Peel and finely chop the onion, celery and carrots Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and add garlic and vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the turkey mince and cook until brown. Add the passata, crushed tomatoes and stock. Add oregano, thyme, cumin and parsley. Bring to a boil, stir then lower the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 25 minutes. Cook The Pasta While the sauce is simmering. Cook approximately 400 grams of your choice of pasta until al dente combine the sauce and pasta together in a big serving bowl. Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves to garnish. Notes Don’t worry if it looks like there is a lot of sauce because the pasta will soak it all up and the delicious flavours will infuse into the pasta. Taste as you cook and add seasonings and herbs according to your liking. If you think the sauce is a little on the dry side then add more chicken stock. You could make turkey bolognese with turkey breast mince but I find that it’s drier than regular turkey mince. Other Easy Recipes You Might Like To Try Easy Lasagna Recipe Mediterranean Couscous Pumpkin Risotto

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February-Currently

13 Comments / Family Life

I can hardly believe that it’s the 1st of February. January just went so fast for me but that’s because I was on summer break. And I find that the days just go by in a flash when I’m on holiday from work. But I’m happy to be back today with the February edition of Currently and I am linking up with Jennifer from Overflowing With Thankfulness. Today we are looking at what we are currently loving, feeling, posting, receiving and seeing. Loving I have been loving summer!! It’s been humid and sticky. My hair has been suffering from a shocking case of frizz but I just love the hot weather so much! Even though I have absolutely loved being on summer break. Now that I am back at work I love that tired feeling after a long busy day. And when I go to bed I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. During the holidays I had trouble falling asleep even when I went to bed really late. This was totally fine because I didn’t have to go to work the next day and I had the luxury of sleeping in. But I know for sure that I don’t sleep as well during the holidays as I do now that I’m dead tired after work. Feeling I am feeling so positive about this year! Last year was the worst and I figure that if I can survive a year like that then I can probably survive almost anything. I am seeing everything through fresh eyes and grateful for a new year. And I have also been feeling very blessed. I have a wonderful family and the most amazing friends. I feel like I have come out of a very long tunnel and this year I have found the sunshine. Posting I have been posting more often here on the blog. But that’s because I have been on summer break. Now that I am back at work I’m not sure that I will be able to keep up. But that’s ok, I’ll try my best and see how I go. Receiving I guess the first thing that comes to mind is that I have been receiving a few online shopping deliveries. But they are not for me. They are for my oldest son. He lives in an apartment and so it’s just easier if his things get delivered to our house. Then he picks them up when he comes over to visit. Seeing I have been seeing lots of new little faces at preschool. Many of the last years preschoolers have moved on to kindergarten this year. And now we have new children beginning preschool. It always amazes me how at the start of the year what a huge deal it is for them to get to know us and then eventually trust us. After all, we are strangers to them and it must be so overwhelming for them to come into a new environment, say goodbye to their parents, and trust that we will look after them until their loved ones come to pick them up. Some children are fine with all of this and they walk into preschool so excited and ready to explore everything. But others take more time so I have also seen a few sad faces at preschool too. This week I have also seen quite a few familiar little faces. We have welcomed back children who were too young to start primary school. And it’s incredible how much children can grow over five weeks. Some of them have had major growth spurts and they have just shot up. And that’s a wrap for the February edition of Currently. Thank you so much for stopping by today. I’m sure that before we know it we’ll be back here again for the March edition because the days just fly by so fast! I hope you all have a great Wednesday.

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Weekend Fun

9 Comments / Family Life

Hi friends I hope you guys had a great weekend. And are all ready to jump into a brand-new week. I’m happy to be back again today on this very rainy and humid Monday evening. As usual, I am linking up with Holly and Sarah and sharing some of my weekend fun. Weekend Fun Saturday Saturday morning I had a few errands to run. So I made a quick trip to the shops and I saw some displays and decorations for the Lunar New Year celebrations. I didn’t have time to stop so I just took a few quick pics. In the evening we went to my aunt’s house and we got to meet my cousin and his girlfriend’s new baby. Isn’t she just so precious? I picked her up for a cuddle and was instantly smitten. I don’t think that I have ever gone so gaga over a puppy before. But I just loved this little one instantly. Isn’t she so tiny!! Her name is Zilla which is short for Godzilla 😂. Here she is having a cuddle with Sam. Zilla is a miniature chihuahua and I can hardly believe how small she is. Here she is asleep in a tiny cat bed. We all had fun cuddling and stroking Zilla as well as being very careful not to step on her. We all froze every time she moved from her tiny bed to her doggie carrier. We stayed for dinner and my aunt made a delicious Chinese dinner to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Then for dessert, we enjoyed some fruit tarts and egg custard tarts. Yum! Sunday On Sunday I caught up with my friend who I met 23 years ago when she worked at preschool with me. She joined us on a one-year contract filling in for a maternity leave position. We clicked instantly and have been friends ever since. Over the 23 years, we have had huge gaps where we didn’t hear from each other. Mainly because she went to live in Europe for a long time. She has been back in Australia for a number of years now and we catch up every so often. I love how we can always just pick up where we have left off. She always makes me laugh so much and is just so much fun to be with. Shopping For Makeup She is also my makeup guru. And I am always so amazed by her knowledge of different brands of makeup. And I love how she’s always so honest in telling me what suits me and what doesn’t. So on Sunday, we zigzagged around the city visiting Sephora, Mecca, Myer and David Jones. My friend had a list of specific products that she was on the lookout for. She introduced me to Chantecaille eye shadow and I was so tempted to buy this colour but I didn’t because I recently bought the NARS palette. Oh, man! It took all of my willpower to walk away. Then we looked at the amazing range of nail polish in David Jones. I was almost in a trance looking at all the pretty colours. And I nearly bought a really nice bronze-coloured nail polish but they were out of stock. In fact, everything seemed to be out of stock. Apparently, there are major issues with the supply chain. Which probably saved me a lot of money! And in the end, neither of us bought anything. But to be honest there weren’t any products that I needed. It was so much fun just browsing and getting lots of make-up tips from my friend. Free Kombucha! They were giving away cans of kombucha in Pitt St Mall. And the young girl gave us two each. We didn’t realise it was kombucha until we read the cans. And we both said at the same time ” I hate kombucha”. But hey it was free! My friend had me in hysterics as I watched her trying to fit her freebies into her LV bag! Lunch We ended our day by going to the QVB and enjoying a nice long lunch while we caught up on what’s been happening with us since the last time we met. We talked non-stop for ages reminiscing about when we first met and all of the funky fashions we used to wear to work. Back then we didn’t have to wear enclosed granny shoes as we do now. We were allowed to wear any type of footwear we wanted. So she and I would wear strappy platform shoes that were all the rage back then thanks to the Spice Girls. Haha, such fun times! For lunch, I ordered a chicken and leek pie with kale and quinoa salad. Because I have an obsession with chicken and leek pies at the moment. And my friend had an Italian panini with a lentil and edamame salad. I tried my free kombucha and it didn’t taste like anything so I was happy to drink it. Plus I was very thirsty! On the way back to the train station I bought some caramelised peanuts to enjoy at home. It was such a fun Sunday! Setting Up The Classroom At Preschool Today it was all hands on deck as we continued to move the furniture around and finish where we left off on Friday. We set up the classrooms and prepared the craft and all the other activities ready for tomorrow when the children start. We had a training afternoon scheduled as well. So we were racing to get everything finished by 2 pm. The day just flew by so fast but I found it so satisfying to declutter and organise the room. I love how spacious everything is now and I think that all the staff did such a great job setting up the learning areas. Especially because the preschool is in an old building that has so many limitations. I’m looking forward to meeting the new children tomorrow. As well as welcoming

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Random Favourites

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Hi everyone it’s so great to be back today for Friday favourites with Andrea and Erika. This week feels kind of strange because today was my first day back at work. So yesterday felt like a Sunday and today feels like a Monday except that now it’s the weekend. It’s so confusing! But anyway, I am so happy to be here today sharing a few random favourites. A Few Random Favourites A Trip To Ikea I had a fun trip to Ikea with my lovely friend the other day. Going to Ikea with her is a big favourite because we both like to browse around at the same pace. Which is nice and slow, checking everything out and even going back if we have missed something. I noticed that they have some new furniture like this comfy chair which reminds me of the very expensive Eames chair. I could totally see myself relaxing on one of these. Walking around made us both really hungry so we stopped for lunch. I nearly chose the meatballs like I usually do but then decided on the healthy salmon. I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted so good because I nearly didn’t order it thinking that it looked a bit bland. For dessert, we had orange cake. I also had an iced mocha and my friend had tea. Tea My super sweet bestie went to Melbourne for a week and she brought me back this yummy tea. I really loved the flavour because I could taste the black tea (my favourite) but as I sipped it I could also smell and taste the vanilla and rose petals. I googled who Ruth Crow was and it turns out that she was a social activist who believed that people could go on to achieve great things when they met together over a cup of tea. How interesting…go, Ruth! Delicious Dip Another random favourite is this fetta and olive dip that I bought from the farmer’s market. It tastes so good with wholemeal crackers. Frozen Avocado Slices My aunt told me about these frozen avocado slices. I didn’t even know that you could freeze avocado. We love to eat avocados but they ripen so fast all at once and if we don’t eat them quickly. Then they turn mushy and I sometimes end up having to throw them out. So these frozen slices are perfect! The Last Day Of The Holidays Thursday was our last day of the school holidays and it was Australia Day. My sweet friend who I am very lucky to work with. We both decided to make the most of the last day by treating ourselves to a lovely lunch in the city. We had a look at the shops first and then we stopped off at a bar called Reign which is located inside the iconic Queen Victoria building. I love the decor it’s just so beautiful with great big windows and gorgeous chandeliers. It was so lovely sitting there enjoying some fancy cocktails. It almost made me forget that we had to go back to work the next day….almost but not quite! The cocktail I ordered was called ‘La Vista Azul’. The waiter recommended it to me but I was a bit unsure at first because it had jalapeño as one of the ingredients. He assured me that it wasn’t spicy and I was glad that I listened to him because it was really good. I just made sure to stay away from the big jalapeño garnish! My friend enjoyed a cocktail called Kyoto Rose which looked so pretty garnished with a big bright rose petal. A Long Lazy Lunch Then it was time to head over to the restaurant for our 2 pm lunch reservation. And we had such a delicious lunch while looking at some gorgeous views of Sydney Harbour. We both ordered the barramundi. And the apple crumble. Then we wandered around Circular Quay which was absolutely buzzing with people celebrating Australia Day. And there was so much to see as we walked along to The Rocks. We ended up at a pub where we hung around for a while listening to a live band. Some people were dancing and really getting into the celebrations and enjoying the public holiday. Back To Work Then just like that, our fun summer holidays were over and today I went back to work. During the holidays the carpets were all cleaned so when we walked in this morning. All the furniture was piled up like this! It was a pupil-free day and so we started the day with a very long and productive planning meeting. The meeting finished at lunchtime and our lovely director had lunch catered for us. After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon moving the piles of furniture and organising the classrooms. This year I am in a different room because we rotate every couple of years. The classroom that I will be in is much bigger than the one I was in for the last two years. Getting The Classrooms Organised Our preschool building isn’t purpose-built. And it’s actually in an old heritage building which was originally the council chambers. So trying to work out the learning areas can be a bit tricky. But because we are starting fresh in different classrooms. We got creative and made quite a few changes. It meant a lot of moving furniture around but I quite like reconfiguring rooms. The classroom teacher and I were both on the same page and we wanted more space and less furniture. We ended up putting some furniture aside that was looking a bit tired. And we will decide on Monday if we are going to store it or give it away. We still didn’t finish setting up the classrooms but that’s ok because Monday we have another pupil-free day. And the children don’t start preschool until Tuesday. I’m so glad that we have an extra day because it means we can

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